Lemon parfait - Marcello Tully

Lemon parfait recipe

This lemon parfait recipe from Marcello Tully consists of a tangy lemon custard cooked to silky smoothness in a bain-marie and served in superb style. There’s a lot going on in this lemon parfait, though none of it is complicated and the components are good-to-know recipes that can be put together with other ideas on other occasions. Of course, if good plums aren’t available or in season, you can replace them with a different fruit.

For more ways to incorporate lemon in to your cooking, browse through our collection of lemon recipes

To make the lemon parfait, whisk the lemon juice, eggs and caster sugar together in a large bowl until the caster sugar has dissolved. Add the double cream and whisk well to combine

2.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 2 1/2. Line the stainless steel rings with cling film making a base so the parfait mixture can’t escape through the bottom. Pour 50g of parfait mixture into each ring

3.

Sit the desserts in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish and half-fill with hot water from the kettle. Carefully transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until the parfait has set. Remove and leave to cool

4.

To make the pastry, in an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla and salt and, once combined, use the paddle of the machine to fold in the flour. When it starts to bind, stop the machine and use your hands to bring the pastry together. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour

5.

Meanwhile, make the white chocolate mousse. Gently melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirring gently from time to time. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, but remain melted. In a large bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then fold the melted chocolate into the cream using a large spoon

6.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form then fold this into the white chocolate cream. Chill for 30 minutes, until the mousse sets

7.

To make the honey and whisky sauce, put the sugar and water in a stainless steel saucepan over a low heat. Once the sugar has melted, increase the heat and simmer until a golden caramel is achieved

The sauce

The sauce recipe will make more than you need on this occasion but will keep for a long time in the fridge and can be served with many other desserts, including simple bowls of ice cream

8.

Remove from the heat and add the whisky, honey and orange juice to the pan (be careful, as it will splutter). Stir to incorporate, then return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil

9.

Simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by 2/3, skimming off any foam from the surface. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before transferring the sauce to a squeezy bottle

11.

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas mark 2. Roll the pastry out thinly and cut into rounds using an 8 or 9cm cutter. Place them on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, then remove form the oven and leave to cool

12.

To assemble the dessert, swirl the honey and whisky sauce around the serving plates. Trim the pastry rounds using a 7.5cm ring so that the pastry bases are the same size as the parfaits and put one on each serving plate

13.

Remove the cling film from the cooled parfaits. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the rings and gently lift the rings off, placing the parfaits on top of the pastry bases. Sprinkle caster sugar lightly over the parfaits and, using a blowtorch, lightly caramelise the surface

14.

Place a quenelle of white chocolate mousse near each parfait. Finely slice the plums and arrange in a fan by the mousse to finish

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